The Silver Trio: Lightning Struck
by Khgirl08
Summary: The Astronomy Tower isn't the only thing affected by Trelawney's prediction. Three students answer the call of Dumbledore's Army, and three lives are forever changed by it. -Everything is posted, and this one is through. Reviews are appreciated.-
1. Chapter 1

"So, let me see if I've got this straight. Shrinking Solutions just make things smaller, yeah?"

Colin shook his head, his eyes never leaving his copy of _1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi_. "It can also revert them to earlier stages of life. A cat who drank some might turn into a kitten, if it drank enough."

Ginny groaned in frustration and rested her head on her Potions notes. "Maybe, if I sleep right here on my notes in the middle of the library, I'll actually absorb some of this information. I'm just going in circles now."

"I know that feeling. I swear, if I reread this passage on the properties of Kazakh Watercress one more time I'm going to go mad...der.." Ginny's study partner slammed his book shut and sighed. "I'm done, Gin. Anything that I don't know by now is going to have to remain unknown, because I don't think I can actually fit any extra information in my brain right now."

She smiled wearily as Colin began shoving books and parchment into his bag, not bothering to lift her head from her notes. "Alright. I just want to finish memorizing this set of notes. I'll see you at breakfast."

Colin nodded and left her alone in the secluded library corner. Ginny had adopted it from Hermione as O.W.L.s began approaching at an alarming rate, appreciating the intense silence the thick shelves and books provided. Not many students ventured this far into the stacks, so she could count on being relatively undisturbed for the rest of her cram session. She forced herself to sit up and continued her copy of every potion she had ever studied in the dungeon classroom.

"Shrinking Solutions cause subjects to shrink and possibly regress in age. Simplicity Potions make other potions easier to make but are ironically complicated themselves. Swelling Potions-"

"Ginny!" The shout made her jump, resulting in a large ink stain on her new notes. She cursed and turned to confront her brother.

"What's the big idea, Ron?! You have to know that I'm busy with studying!"

"There are things more important than that," said Hermione as she and Ron reached the table. Both of them looked rather paler than usual; Ron's freckles seemed to leap from his face and the bags under Hermione's eyes were darker than Ginny had seen them all year.

As angry as Ginny was at being interrupted, she could tell something was happening. "Just let me finish with the S's and we can talk." She tried to return to her notes, but all the books and parchment flew from the desk and into her bag. "Hermione!"

"There isn't time!" the older witch insisted. "Come on!"

Madame Pince's footsteps could be heard clicking towards the corner, so Ginny swore again and grabbed her bag. "You owe me. Where's Harry at, anyhow?"

Ron led the way from the library, only going a few steps beyond the doors before turning back to continue the conversation. He held up a pair of old socks and shook them at Hermione and Ginny in turn. "We each need to take a bit of this."

"Of your rotten toerags?" Ginny asked incredulously. "You're barking!"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Hermione as she thrust a tatty bit of parchment towards Ginny. Ginny took it as Hermione grabbed the ball of socks and began to unroll them. "It's a potion."

"A potion that's been stuffed into my brother's rancid yellow-"

"They're not mine, they're Harry's!" Ron growled. Ginny stared at him in confusion. "He has the Felix Felicis he won from Slughorn in these."

"His luck potion? But why-" Hermione finished unwrapping the tiny bottle and uncorked it, causing some of the golden liquid to slosh up the sides. Ginny watched it swirl as Hermione began to speak.

"He's got it into his head that the Death Eaters are going to invade tonight, and since he's gone off with Dumbledore to find a Horcrux-"

"A what?"

"-he wants us and the rest of the D.A. to patrol the school. There's not very much of this left, though," Hermione finished, holding up the bottle. She took a small swig and swapped it with the parchment Ginny still clutched. "Half of that's yours."

"Death Eaters in the school? But how? Why are he and Dumbledore are both gone?" Ginny was mentally kicking her boyfriend for obviously leaving her out of a couple loops. Ron snorted and grabbed the bottle, swallowing his half and practically throwing it back at her.

"We don't have time to talk now, Gin. Just drink, the others should be here soon."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at her brother but drained the bottle, feeling a tingle run through her as the luck took effect. Hermione pulled a Galleon from her robes and rubbed it nervously. "Anyone who got the message I sent should be here in a few minutes. I just hope the others still carry these."

"I don't," Ginny and Ron said together. It was Hermione's turn to snort as she tucked the socks into Ginny's bag.

"Yes, well, neither do I, normally. You'd best put the bottle in there, too, and find somewhere safe to leave it. If we get into a battle, you won't want a bag holding you down." Ginny nodded and dropped the bottle in with her quills and ink pot. Even with the lucky glow of Felix Felicis filling her, her stomach was beginning to churn and her hands starting to shake.

If the Death Eaters did indeed show up at Hogwarts, what chance did three students stand against them? And where were Harry and Dumbledore at, anyhow? Why hadn't Harry come to her instead of her brother and Hermione?

As these questions rolled through her mind, a loud crash echoed down the corridor. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all tensed and raised their wands. Ron began to creep toward the corner as whispers drifted toward them, and Ginny and Hermione followed behind.

Ginny tightened her grip when shadows travelled toward them. In the split second before the shapes emerged, she closed her eyes and wished desperately to see Harry one more time.


	2. Chapter 2

"Those suits of armor are certainly anxious tonight," Luna whispered as she helped Neville to his feet.

Neville didn't smile at her. "They ought to be, with a klutz like me running around," he replied quietly. He waved his wand at the scattered pieces of armor and Luna watched it reassemble itself. "I take it you got the coin message, too?"

"Yes, but I was on my way to the library anyhow. My copy of _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 3_ has turned up missing, and I wanted to double check the incantation for Cheering Charms, but I suppose I'll have to wait until tomorrow." Neville stumbled as Luna grabbed his hand and skipped toward the corner. He caught up to her and they turned the corner together, only to stop short at the sight of three wands pointing at their faces. "Hello, Ronald. Hermione, Ginny."

The other members of the DA sighed in relief and lowered their wands, though a certain tenseness remained in Ron's shoulders. "Hey. Did either of you two meet anyone else?"

"We've only just come across each other in the corridor back there," Luna said. "And from some of the comments I've overheard from my housemates, I suspect none of them carry their coins."

"That's what I was afraid of. We don't exactly have time to go find them, either." Hermione tugged on one of her curls anxiously. "I suppose the five of us will have to be enough."

"And Colin was just here, too. He probably went to go grab another vial of developing solution for his camera or something." Ginny crossed her arms. "Do we even know if the Death Eaters are really coming?"

"Death Eaters?!" Neville asked incredulously. "We're meeting because Death Eaters are storming the castle?!"

"Harry thinks so, and since he and Dumbledore are both off somewhere it falls to us to keep everything together on this front," said Ron. "'mione, see if Malfoy's shown up on there yet."

Luna joined the others around Hermione as she muttered something about being up to no good and tapped an old piece of parchment with her wand. The parchment unfolded and ink began to appear on it, as if a hundred invisible quills were drawing on it. "It's a map, isn't it?" she asked as more and more details appeared. "A map of Hogwarts."

"Yeah, it is," mumbled Ron, his blue eyes scanning the parchment. "Do you see him?"

"No, nowhere."

"Hang on, why do those dots have our names on them?" asked Neville, pointing to a collection of marks near the map's library. "Does this map actually show where everyone in the castle is?"

"Almost everyone, at least. Mischief Managed." Hermione tapped the map again and folded it back up as the ink disappeared. "Malfoy isn't showing up, which means he's in the Room of Requirement."

"But what's in there that he wants?" Ginny asked. Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance.

"Okay, so we don't know," Luna said. "Is he supposed to help the Death Eaters get in?"

Ron nodded slowly. "Harry thinks so. Even if he isn't, it can't hurt to watch him. He's been acting suspicious for months now. We've gotta split up if he's in the Room of Requirement, though."

"Right." Hermione shoved the map into Ron's hands. "I'll go down to guard Snape's office and the rest of you-"

"You aren't going alone!" said Ron ferociously. Neville, who was in between the pair, backed away slowly. "Hermione, if Harry's right and he's helping Malfoy, the Death Eaters could be throwing a party down there or something. I'm going with you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron." Hermione crossed her arms and tossed her hair. "Professor Snape is hardly likely to be entertaining Voldemort's finest in the middle of the school without them causing havoc. Even if he was, I am more than capable of taking care of myself. You need to get up to the Room of Requirement with the others."

"I'm not letting you go off on your own when people who murder for fun are on the loose," he snarled. "I don't care if you're getting better marks than me, two fighters are better than one."

"Not if one of them is distracting the other!"

"What in the bloody Hell is that-"

"I'll go with Hermione," Luna interjected as Ron's voice became an outright bellow. "I even have my Spectrespecs, so I'll be able to tell if the Wrackspurts get too thick and start obscuring our focus."

"Alright, fine," Hermione said impatiently. She started to go, but turned back to Ron and tackled him in a hug. "Be careful."

Ron stared at her with a befuddled expression when she let him go to embrace Ginny and Neville. "Y-yeah, you too. We'll let you know if anything happens."

"Alright. We'll see you." Luna waited for Hermione to go before smiling at the others and following her, humming a lullaby under her breath. Once they were safely behind a tapestry and on their way down a secret staircase, she spoke up. "Do you believe Professor Snape will be helping the Death Eaters tonight?"

Hermione paused for a moment. "That's a good question. It doesn't make any sense," she said, starting back down the stairs, "but Harry is adamant that he's up to something with Malfoy. He insisted that we keep an eye on both of them while he and Dumbledore are away."

"I suppose it can't hurt," Luna responded, "only I do wish I had time to borrow the library's copy of _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 3_ so I could at least do a bit of work. Cheering Charms always offset me a little, and I want to make sure I have the incantation exactly right."

The brunette said nothing for several minutes. Luna didn't have to have her Spectrespecs on to know that the Wrackspurts were up to no good in the older girl's mind and so thought it best to refrain from engaging her in conversation. Two years before, she would not have needed a reason to stay silent around Hermione Granger, or indeed most other people, but now that she had become friends of a sort she supposed it was more difficult to not speak to her.

"Luna, I don't understand something." Luna blinked and realized that they were already in the dungeons. The two girls ducked into an alcove down the corridor from Snape's office and sat against the wall.

"As long as it doesn't pertain to something from _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 3_, I can probably help. What is it?"

Hermione bit her lip and scratched a fingernail on the floor before asking her question. "From what I've heard from Padma Patil and some other Ravenclaws, you're known for not using the exact incantations for many of the charms we all learn in class. Why are you so worried about Cheering Charms?"

"That's none of your business!" Luna snapped. "You can keep your bushy hair out of my affairs, thank you very much!" Hermione blinked in shock, and Luna's face heated up in shame. It had been many years since she had lost her temper in such a fashion. She ducked her head and stared at her feet, choosing to focus on her chipped toenail polish instead of her friend's confused expression.

Hermione's Wrackspurts were very contagious, unfortunately, and Luna felt her thoughts drifting back to Cheering Charms and cloud watching. She knew that Hermione had meant no harm, but her innocent questioning had reopened a wound she had hoped would stay shut forever.

* * *

Khgirl08: Here's chapter two! I do hope more people start reading this; because Luna's the star of this chapter and Neville's on deck, I've changed the characters to Luna and Neville. And I'm a terrible terrible meanie for leaving all of you hanging to find out why Luna's upset, but I suspect some of you might be able to figure it out before then. If you do, please don't spoil it in the reviews :3


	3. Chapter 3

"So Harry and Dumbledore are off looking for a Horntail? Like the dragon he fought two years ago?"

Neville reddened at Ron's subsequent expression. "Not a Horntail, you prat, a Horcrux," he said slowly.

"You and Hermione never answered my question from earlier," Ginny said. "What is that, exactly?"

Ron shuffled. "A Horntail is a dragon, like Nev just said."

"The _Horcrux_ or whatever, not the Horntail," she hissed loudly.

"Gin, quiet down!" Neville hushed, looking over his shoulder. He half-expected a livid Professor McGonagall to track them down and issue a round of detentions for loitering. "You'll get us caught!"

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "What's so important about it that Harry and Dumbledore are off searching for it instead of protecting the bloody school?" she asked.

Ron was slow to answer, and Neville readied himself to hold Ginny back as she growled under her breath. "Well," he started, "I'm not exactly sure on the theory of it all. Maybe you should ask Hermione later, or even Harry when he gets back-"

"Ron Weasley, you answer me right now or, so help me, I will give you a Bat-Bogey in an interesting-"

"Ginny, shut up!"

"Don't you start too, Neville, or you'll be right after hmphhhh!" Neville clapped a hand over his friend's mouth and pointed at the wall that lead to the Room of Requirement. A gleaming door handle had just appeared from nowhere, and the three friends raised their wands as one.

The wall opened just a crack, but before Neville could make out the person appearing from within everything went pitch black. He cried out, startled, and heard a chorus of laughter from the direction of the wall. "What's happening?!" he yelped as footsteps echoed in the opposite direction.

"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder!" Ginny cried.

"What were the twins thinking?!" growled Ron. "Come on, we've got to follow them, it's the only way we'll get out of this cloud!"

Neville felt a small hand take his and squeezed Ginny reassuringly. Her pulse was beating faster than his, a feat which seemed impossible. As her hand pulled on his, he stumbled towards her and nearly fell again but managed to stay upright as the Weasleys led the way down the hall.

Their emergence into light was startling. He stopped to rub his eyes for a moment, only to have his feet frozen in place. "Don't move!" snarled a familiar voice. When Neville could see clearly again, he saw that Ginny and Ron didn't look nearly as panicked as he felt. Their wands were at their sides, and they were nearly _smiling_.

"Like we're just going to stand here and let you destroy our school! Tarantallegra!" Neville aimed his jinx in the direction of the voice, but he heard it hit a wall instead.

"Hold off, Neville, it's alright!" said Ginny. "Tonks, it's us! Quick-"

"Ginny? Ron, what are you doing here?" The curse was lifted from Neville's legs and he jumped around to see Professor Lupin and a woman he vaguely recognized from the Ministry staring at them. The woman was frowning deeply. "We heard something and thought it must be the Death Eaters, but instead we find you three just mucking around?"

"No, listen! The Death Eaters are here, they escaped from us and came through here not a minute ago," said Ron hurriedly. "We've got to go after them!"

Lupin's eyes widened. "And Albus had been sure it wouldn't happen so early...Come on, Dora," he said. He waved his wand and a glowing hawk swooped down the hall. "You three are to stay-"

"Hey, it's our school under attack here!" barked Ginny. "Besides, there must have been more than a half-dozen of them, there's no way you two can take them alone!"

"She's right, Remus," said Dora. "They did alright last year at the Ministry, yeah?"

"We're wasting time here!" said Ron loudly, and he ran down the hall. Ginny and Dora were on his heels, and Neville found himself struggling to keep up almost immediately. Lupin seemed to fare only slightly better.

"It's always bad right after a full moon," the older man panted. Neville gave him a wary look, but the werewolf looked no different than he had as a professor. Lupin, as usual, seemed to read his thoughts. "I'm not going to transform tonight, don't worry."

Neville flushed. "Sorry, I just-"

"It's perfectly understandable. You spent a full year under my instruction only to find out that I turn into a monster for a couple days every month. I'd be a little nervous around me, too."

As they ran down the halls, Neville's mind flashed back to his third year. "Professor, in my third year you said that I might be as good at fighting as my parents one day."

Lupin frowned slightly. "That's true, yes, but I fail to see what that has to do with anything."

"Well, sir, I was just wondering if they were ever involved in battles like this one. Gran only talks about their duels." He winced internally at his stupid query, but he hadn't been able to keep from thinking of them. This felt more like something an Auror would do than anything he had ever done before.

Before Lupin could respond, a loud shriek echoed around the corner. A spell bounced off the wall and seemed to hone in on Neville's head, and he ducked just before it made contact. "I guess this is it. And yes, Neville, the Longbottoms I knew were accomplished at all types of fighting. You'll make them proud."

Neville nodded and dashed around the corner, wand held aloft. Death Eaters were everywhere, and Neville could hardly make anything out through the bodies. "Tarantallegra!" he shouted. His jinx made contact this time around, and a thick Death Eater's legs began an energetic jig. "Stupefy!"

"Protego!" wheezed his opponent, and Neville was forced to evade his own Stunner. "Little boy thinks he's good enough to fight, eh? Impedimenta!" The curse soared overhead as Neville dove to the ground. The dancing jinx was already wearing off, and the Death Eater laughed as his feet came to a rest once more. "That was energizing. Avada Kedavra!"

Neville rolled out of the way just in time; the curse bounced off the ground exactly where his head had been a moment before. "Confringo!" he shouted, aiming at the ceiling above the Death Eater. Part of the stone fell to pieces and hurtled down to the floor. One small piece caught the blond man on the forehead, causing him to stumble and drop his wand. A larger piece hit Neville's left elbow, and he shouted in pain as the impact cracked it. The Death Eater barked with laughter and began scrounging for his wand, and Neville knew he was nearly out of time. If he couldn't stand up and fight, he would die.


	4. Chapter 4

"Incendio!"

Ginny's fire scorched the edge of her opponent's robes, and the woman screeched in outrage. "You'll pay for that! Avada Kedavra!"

With a foresight that she had never before possessed, Ginny knew that the Death Eater would bounce the curse off the wall in order to fake her out and stepped forward instead of to her right like she otherwise would have. "You'll have to be quicker than that!" she laughed. She could no longer keep track of any fighters but her own opponent in the midst of the dozens of curses and the non-existent torchlight, but she hadn't heard anyone go down.

"Avada Kedavra!" With a split second to spare, Ginny threw herself to her right and looked over her shoulder. A Death Eater who looked scarily like her opponent was smiling at her with a menacing expression. "Need a hand, Alecto?"

"Bah! Avada Kedavra!" Ginny ducked and rolled closer to the female Death Eater and aimed.

"Impedimenta!" The woman screeched and stumbled backwards, but Ginny somehow felt another curse coming her way. A jet of black light shot past her as she leaped away.

"Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!" And suddenly, the whole hallway was ablaze with green light. A thick-set Death Eater was stomping down the corridor and shooting Killing Curses in all directions. Someone shouted as they began to bounce off of the walls, the ceiling, and one another.

"Rowle, stop! You'll kill us all!" one of the Death Eaters cried over the noise. Rowle scowled but continued his casting, and Ginny found herself the target of more than one of his curses. "Rowle!"

And then Lupin was there, sending spell after spell at the curse-happy Death Eater. He was forced to take proper aim at his new opponent, but Lupin was faster. Battle ceased for a moment as everyone watched Lupin aim curse after ineffective curse at Rowle and Rowle miss Lupin again and again.

A clatter of footsteps on the stairs brought the other fighters back to reality, and Ginny once again rolled out of the way as her opponents shot identical curses at her. She looked at the stairs to the Astronomy Tower just in time to see one of Rowle's Killing Curses strike the man in the heart. Her blood froze as she watched the man die with a confused expression.

"Gibbon!" shouted another Death Eater. Ginny couldn't tear her eyes from the body; seconds before, he had been ready to rejoin her enemy and fight against her, but he was now nothing more than empty flesh.

"Protego!" Ginny flinched as a shield formed around her, stopping two more curses in their tracks. Professor McGonagall was at her side in an instant. "More help is on the way, but we must keep fighting!"

Ginny nodded and turned back to the woman Death Eater, but she had already turned tail and was dueling someone else. As she ran to help whatever friend was fighting the witch, a hand grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around. Bill stared down at her in fury. "Ginny, get Ron and get out of here! They're aiming to kill!"

"But-" Before Ginny could retort, Bill was ripped away from her. A strong, vile-looking man sank his teeth into her brother's arm, and he screeched in agony. "_Bill_!"

Another curse whizzed past her head, and she turned to see Draco Malfoy glaring at her. "All right, Weaselette?"

"Go to Hell, Malfoy!" she screamed. "Reducto!"

He dodged the curse and sent back an identical one, and soon they were locked into a pattern. Ginny couldn't make contact with him, and he couldn't hit her. When someone shouted his name, Ginny used the advantage to strike him with a Diffindo. The curse struck his eyebrow, but he ignored her and took off. When she tried to follow, a new Death Eater stepped into her path.

"Ventus!" he shouted. Ginny was thrown backwards in a gust of air, but it lasted for only a moment before she regained her balance.

"Steleus!" Her hex struck true, and the man began to sneeze uncontrollably. "Incarcerous!"

The Death Eater managed to vanish her ropes and send a silent curse her way in between sneezes, and by the time she dodged and re-aimed his fit had come to an end. "Nice trick, little girl, but not good enough. Confringo!"

Ginny ducked under the curse and shot one back at him, but someone else put up a shield. "I'll handle this one, Yaxley," growled another Death Eater. She realized with a start that he was the man who had bitten Bill, and his entire face and the front of his robes were drenched in blood. "Go ahead and try to curse me."

"Reducto!" she shouted, but he blocked the curse with ease and advanced on her. "Reducto!"

"Greyback, Yaxley, come help up here!" The bloody man who was steadily coming closer to Ginny growled and kept coming closer. Ginny backed up as far as she could, but a wall soon impeded her. "Greyback!"

The man stopped less than a foot from her. "I'll be back in a moment, sweet." And with that he was gone. Most of the fighting had stopped, but Tonks and Ron were still fighting the thick Rowle and another man near the stairs. Two bodies were lying in a puddle of blood against a wall, and McGonagall, Lupin, and Bill were nowhere to be seen.

"G-ginny?" She jumped around at the sound of her name to see Neville staring at her. Her friend's face was as pale as she had ever seen it. "Are they gone?"

"I don't know where they've all gone. Merlin, are you okay?"

"Yeah, that big guy got me with something in my stomach. No broken skin, but I think I'm bleeding inside. I'll be fine, just go get them." Neville tried to smile at her, but his eyes were too full of pain for it to be sincere.

"Right." She patted his shoulder and ran back down the hall, aiming a Stinging Hex at Rowle's back end. He howled and grabbed his bottom, and Tonks nodded her thanks and ran for the stairs. Ginny took her place next to Ron and shot a Stunning Spell at the thick man, wincing when it glanced off him.

A third Death Eater who had been knocked out was stirring in the shadows next to the duel, and she silently willed that he not reawaken. If he entered the battle now, Ginny doubted she and Ron would be able to hold the trio off. But what else could they do but try?

* * *

Khgirl08: Hey ya'll! We've come 'round back to Ginny's POV, which means Luna's next. I'm sure you've all seen the updates about character assignments within stories, which is great news for me because I can actually have all three stars of this story involved! :D I do hope you enjoy this, and please review if you do.


	5. Chapter 5

"Professor, what-"

But Snape was gone before Luna could finish her question. Hermione was on her feet, too, looking after him and wringing her hands. "If the Death Eaters are here, that means...but Professor Flitwick is injured..."

Luna stood and walked down to Snape's office. "We need to take care of Professor Flitwick first, Hermione," she said.

"But if the Death Eaters are here, Ron and the other are probably fighting them already! We need to help them!" the Gryffindor witch said frantically.

"No!" Hermione jumped and turned to stare at Luna. "If Professor Flitwick knew and made it all the way down here, the other teachers have probably already been informed too, and that means there's plenty of fighters. Professor Snape said that we needed to help Professor Flitwick, and we should listen to him." Without waiting for an answer, Luna drifted into Snape's office and knelt next to her Head of House. "Sir?"

"Does he have a pulse?" asked Hermione, who had materialized next to Luna.

_"__Does she have a pulse?"_

Luna shook herself of the memory that swept over her and pressed two fingers to his neck. "Yes, but it's weak."

_"__Weak, it's too weak..."_

"We need to turn him over. Grab his shoulder." The words floated to her as if from a distance. The room around her was changing, brightening, and so was the person before her. "Luna? Hey! Get Snorkacks off your brain and help me turn him over so we can help him!"

She blinked and looked at Hermione. "I'm sorry."

Hermione snorted. "Just help turn him." They gently lifted their Charms professor and flipped him rightside up, and Luna was relieved to see that he still seemed to be breathing. "He's so pale. He must have hit his head on the way down, though, look at that bruise."

_"__Why is she so pale, Daddy? Why did it bruise?"_

Luna moved a few feet away from Flitwick as Hermione leaned closer to him. "Ennervate," the older witch muttered. The old man stirred slightly. "Come on, Professor, wake up."

The old wizard's eyes opened for a long moment before shutting again, but they didn't focus on Hermione. His gaze bored directly into Luna's before rolling and shutting again, and with a cry she fell back into one of Snape's shelves, knocking off several potions. Someone shouted her name, but Luna was already being swept away into a flashback.

_The day was warm, pleasantly so. Luna's father was in his lab, tinkering with a device that would sense the horns of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, hoping that it would be ready for their trip to the Andes in a few weeks. Her mother wanted to be inside about as much as Luna, and so she picked up a blanket and announced that they were going to go cloud watching._

_Luna and her mother skipped down the lane to their favorite stretch of grass, spread the blanket, and plopped themselves down to stare up at the puffy white clouds and light blue sky. The grass smelled fresh and clean around them, and the breeze brought the scent of fresh apple blossoms all the way from the Weasley's orchard. Neither spoke except to point out the different creatures and people that they found until Luna's mother became fidgety. "What's your favorite charm today, my Luna?" she asked._

_"__Today's a rather cheerful day," she responded, "so I suppose Cheering Charms. Are you going to show me how to do it?"_

_"__Risus Solise!" Her mother cast the charm on Luna, and a light like a sunbeam struck her. She felt herself giggle as a tickling sensation spread from her head to her toes. "There you go!"_

_"__Does that mean sun smile?" asked Luna once her giggles wore off._

_"__Something like that, yes. I see you've been working with Daddy on your Latin." Luna nodded happily. "Good. The Wrackspurts are also staying away, then?"_

_"__I haven't caught a case of them in three weeks!" she responded. Her mother smiled, and her cheerfulness was even stronger than that created by the charm._

_"__My Luna, that's lovely. Would you like to help Mummy with an experiment?"_

_Luna sat bolt upright, bouncing in excitement. "You know I do!"_

_Luna's mother started to say something else, but a loud crack interrupted her. "Excuse me, Mrs. Lovegood?"_

_"__Hello, Amos! If you're here to see Xenophilius, he's in the lab." The bearded man tipped his hat and walked towards the house, and Luna's mother turned back to Luna. "He must want to run an advertisement in 'The Quibbler' or something. Now, then, how do you think I could make the Cheering Charm better?"_

_Luna put her thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes to think. "It does fade rather quickly. Could you make it stronger so it lasts longer?"_

_Her mother shook her head, and her dark hair was caught in the wind. "If this charm is overpowered, it causes the recipient to burst into a fit of hysterical laughter that can last for hours. We'll have to modify the spell itself."_

_"__Hm...well, Daddy says that if something runs in your blood it's more prevalent. Maybe you could make the happiness run through your blood?"_

_"__That's a wonderful idea!" Luna's mother hugged her daughter tightly before pulling back and looking down with a grin. "You may have helped me get a breakthrough, my Luna. Do you remember the word for blood?"_

_"__Sanguin, right? Can I go first, Mummy, can I?!"_

_"__I think I'd better try it on me first, just to make sure it's safe." Her mother thought for a moment before raising her wand to her forehead. "Here goes. Risus Sanguin!" Luna held her breath and her mother screwed her eyes shut, but after a moment both sighed in disappointment. "Risus Sanguin! Risuse Sanguin!"_

_"__Maybe you should try the whole charm?" Luna suggested. Her mother smiled and nodded._

_"__Risus Solis Sanguin!" There was a bright light, much brighter than before, and when it faded Luna's mother was smiling. "It works! Oh, my Luna, it works! It..." And her mother fell over, her silly grin fading into nothing._

_"__Mummy, what's wrong? Are you sick?" Luna touched her mother's hand, and it was hot. "Mummy! MUMMY!"_

_"__My Luna, what's wrong?!" Luna began to shake her mother's shoulders as someone shouted at her from the house. Her shoulders were already beginning to cool, but they were still too warm to belong to her mother. Her father and the man from before appeared by her side and gasped. "What's happened!"_

_"__Cheering Charm..." she whispered as her father pulled her away._

_"__Amos, please! Does she have a pulse?"_

_The bearded man pressed two fingers to her mother's wrist, then moved them to her neck. "Merlin, please...Wait! It's there, but it's...weak, it's too weak..."_

_Luna's mother was growing paler and paler by the millisecond except for the exact part of her skin where her wand had touched. Luna shrank away from the strange, dark spot. "Why is she so pale, Daddy? Why did it bruise?"_

_Her father didn't answer her, and Amos shouted at him. "Xeno, come on! We've got to get her to St. Mungo's, right now!"_

_"__No..." he whispered. Luna felt something wet hit the top of her head, and she looked up to see him crying. "No, not again. My sweet, my dove..."_

_"__Xeno!" Amos leaped to his feet, and Luna's mother stirred at the movement. Everyone froze and watched her. Luna stared at her, willing her to get up and smile at her again, to show her that she was just fine and that her Cheering Charm had just knocked her out for a moment. _

_When her mother's eyes opened, Luna cried in happiness. They were clear and gray, just like Luna's, and they were full of pure joy and love. But just as Luna was about to pull away from her father and run to embrace her mother, her eyes clouded over and rolled away before closing again._

_Amos knelt down again and pressed two fingers to her neck. He winced and pressed harder, then switched sides of her neck, but eventually lifted his fingers and shook his head. "She's gone."_

_"__She's not gone anywhere," said Luna, utterly confused. Her father began to howl and lost his grip on her, and she stood. "She's still right there. We have to take her to the doctor, like when she detached Daddy's arm last week. Daddy, let's go."_

_But Amos just wiped his eyes. "Luna, I'm so sorry."_

_"__Mummy always says that actions are better than words, so stop talking and take her to St. Mungo's," Luna said, not knowing why her stomach felt so cold. "If she stays out here in this condition, she'll get a cold and what's worse, the Nargles will try to nest in her hair again and the Wrackspurts will start a whole colony in her ear and she'll have to drink Plimpie soup to get rid of them and she hates Plimpie soup," she rattled on. Her father collapsed next to her, sobbing uncontrollably, and she looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong, Daddy?"_

_"__Luna. Your mother won't catch cold, not anymore." Amos left her mother's side and squatted in front of her, and she was surprised to see that he was crying too. "She's gone, love."_

_"__But she's right there!" she said again, losing her patience._

_"__Yes, but Luna-"_

_"__She's dead! Dead, dead, dead!" Luna's father began beating the ground. "DEAD!"_

_"__No..." Luna looked to Amos, begging him to tell her different, but he just shook his head. "No! MUMMY! NO!"_

"**Luna!**"

"Ah!" Luna jumped when Hermione snapped underneath her nose. Her cheeks were wet with tears. "What...Hermione?"

"I thought I was going to have to hit you with Aguamenti or something!" Luna saw Flitwick floating on a cot next to the door of the office. "I won't be able to move quickly with Professor Flitwick, but you need to run ahead and tell Madam Pomfrey that I'll be bringing him up. His pulse is stronger now, I think he just concussed himself or something."

"Madam Pomfrey?"

"Merlin's Beard, Luna, the nurse! What is the matter with you?!" Luna jumped to her feet, slid in the potions that she had broken, and shook herself off. "Tell her I'll be up with him shortly, and do try and keep from fainting again!"

"I'm sorry," she said through a trembling lip. With that, she left Hermione to mutter under her breath. Luna rushed down the dark corridor, fleeing Hermione's wrath and the memories of her mother's last day on Earth.

Today was June 23, 1997. Her mother had been dead for exactly seven years.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! I'd like to thank everyone who's favorited and watched this story. You guys are the best! :D This is one of the more depressing chapters I've ever written, honestly. I've always wanted to write about Luna's mum, and I figured this would be a good venue to do it in, so I did. And yes, I know a lot of sites claim that Dumbledore died on the 30th of June, but if school never lasts into July (which we've also learned) then I think that's impossible. Therefore, I dated this to give a week or so for examinations.

Neville's up next!


	6. Chapter 6

"Diffindo," Neville whispered as two familiar forms practically flew towards him.

Malfoy winced as Neville's spell caught his ankle, but Snape forced him onwards. Neville grabbed his stomach again and fought the growing inclination to vomit, which he was sure would yield a bloody mess. The fight had restarted after a brief pause, and he was even more useless than he had been a few minutes ago. No Death Eaters needed to fear defeat from him, if cutting someone's ankle was as good as he could do. He could hear battles raging all through the corridor, but only one battle was in his line of sight. Tonks and the Killing Curse-happy Rowle were dueling just to his right, and green light was ricocheting in every direction.

"Take that!" McGonagall's cry was followed by a crack and a sharp squeal, and two portly Death Eaters ran past Neville. They dodged their comrade's barrage of Killing Curses, and before Neville could summon the energy to point out their escape something fell on top of his legs. He clutched his stomach and pressed his face into the stone, again forcing himself not to vomit.

"Neville, are you-?" His mystery assailant was Harry, of all people, and he sounded panicked.

"'M'all right. Harry..." he stopped to take a deeper breath, "Snape and Malfoy...ran past..."

"I know, I'm on it!" Blue light shone through Neville's eyelids. When Rowle screamed and his footsteps pounded away, Harry leaped up and raced after him.

Neville lifted his head and tried to call after him, but the pain in his stomach had begun to overtake his lungs. He heard Tonks and Ginny do it for him, but Harry slid around the corner and was gone. "Damn, what's he thinking?" Tonks swore. She turned to rejoin the battle, but the rest of the shouting died down as more footsteps ran in the opposite direction. "Cowards! All of you!"

"It's pointless to chase them down now," Lupin interjected from somewhere behind Neville. "Dora, get Neville up to the hospital wing, and tell Poppy that we're bringing in another as soon as we get him stabilized."

Tonks nodded and created a stretcher beside Neville. "Can you roll over?" she asked gently. Neville grimaced and pushed himself up with his good arm, easing himself onto the canvas. "Got your wand?"

"Yeah," he mumbled. Tonks waved her wand again and jogged down the corridor. Neville's stretcher floated right behind her, somehow smooth regardless of the pace of their travel. "Who...else?"

Tonks shook her head. "I'm not sure, really. I don't know who all was there, could be Ron or Bill or one of the other Professors. What happened to you, anyhow?"

"Some curse...and ceiling..." Neville coughed, and something syrupy filled his mouth. Tonks looked back and winced.

"Not looking too fit right now, Longbottom. Poppy should be able to fix you right up, though."

"Let's...hope..." He vomited suddenly, and Tonks waved her wand to clean his face of what tasted like pure blood. "Thanks."

"We're almost there." Neville closed his eyes in relief and exhaustion, and when he opened them a moment later Tonks' concerned expression had been joined by Luna's and Hermione's. "There you are! You fainted halfway here, I was worried that the blood loss-"

"Out of my way!" Madam Pomfrey pushed Luna and Hermione aside and studied Neville, waving her wand over his midriff and frowning. "Lacerated kidneys, liver, and spleen, not to mention a collapsed lung and that fractured elbow. You're in for a rough night, Longbottom, but you'll be fine in a few days." Without further preamble, she poured a vile-smelling potion into his mouth. He swallowed instinctively but gagged slightly as it slid down his throat. "Blood-Replenishing Skele-Gro, my own mixture. I'll go get some Dreamless Sleep, too...Nymphadora, how long until they get the other one here?"

"I'll go help them, actually. They should have gotten here by now." Tonks patted Neville's knee and took off.

Hermione took Neville's hand, and he saw that she was struggling not to cry. Luna, who was standing behind her, actually had tears spilling down her face. He tried to smile. "Are you two...that happy...to see me?"

Luna made a choking noise that could have been a laugh or sob, and Hermione wiped her eyes. "Of course we're glad to see you, Neville. But where are the others? Who else was injured?"

"Ginny...Professor Lupin...they're okay. Harry...ran off...after Malfoy. Dunno about the others." Neville coughed again, and pain wracked his body. It was a different pain than before, however, and he could feel pins and needles stabbing the inside of his abdomen.

"Harry's back?" Luna asked with a trembling voice at the same time as Hermione cried "So Ron could be-?"

"Mr. Longbottom, I'd drink this if I were you. It should get you through the worst of the pain." Madam Pomfrey shoved a flask into his good hand. "Miss Lovegood, Miss Granger, we need to let him rest."

As he drained the flask of sleeping potion and felt his eyelids grow heavy, he saw Luna move to his pillowside and lean down. "Sleep well, Neville," she whispered.

The last thing Neville felt before falling into oblivion was a pair of soft lips on his cheek.

* * *

A/N: Poor Nev :( I always wondered what exactly was wrong with him when Harry ran him over. But the ending makes me happy, because I'm a helpless school-age!Nuna shipper. Yay crushes!

Also, I'd like to again thank everyone who follows/faves/reads this story. Ya'll are the bomb!


	7. Chapter 7

"Come on, Bill, just hang on. Madam Pomfrey, she'll fix you right up," whispered Ginny, more for herself than for her brother. Her voice shook, just like Ron's hand when he grabbed her shoulder for a moment. They had stopped in a tapestry passage so Lupin and McGonagall could try and stem some of the bleeding long enough to get Bill to the hospital wing. Her oldest brother was covered in blood and utterly unrecognizable; his face appeared to be missing entirely under the sheen of scarlet.

_That should be you_, whispered a silky voice in Ginny's mind. _Your big brother is going to die, and it's all because he was talking to you. You should be the one dying_.

"Shut it," she growled. Riddle's voice disappeared with a low chuckle, but she was even more rattled than before. She hadn't heard from him in weeks, and suddenly he was right back in her head like he had never left. He probably hadn't.

"I think we've got this as good as we can for now. We need to get moving again." Lupin pointed his wand at the stretcher and took off again. Ginny caught up to him and slipped her hand into Bill's, wishing desperately that he would squeeze it like he had when she was a little girl. When they emerged from the passage and started down a main corridor, Tonks hurtled around the corner and nearly smashed into Remus. "Dora?"

"There you are!" she wheezed, turning on her heel and falling into step with the group. "I was afraid that the Death Eaters had come back or something, what took...so...is that Bill?"

"Yes. Greyback," said McGonagall heavily. Tonks gasped. "The damage he can do when not transformed is disturbingly remarkable."

No one else spoke until they reached the Hospital Wing. Ginny kept hold of Bill until someone shrieked and she was thrown aside by a cloud of bushy brown hair. Remus was joined by Madam Pomfrey and continued down the ward, but Hermione's explosion stopped everyone else. "Ronald Weasley, how _dare_ you not tell me when that fight broke out!"

"Hermione!" he exclaimed as she smacked him right across the face. Ginny moved forward to confront the prefect, but she noticed the tears streaming down her friend's face.

"I thought...Neville didn't know if you were...that might have been you," she sobbed. Ron wrapped her in a hug, and she broke down completely.

"It's okay, 'mione, it's okay," he whispered.

"She was worried about you too, Ginny," Luna said sadly. Ginny turned to see the blonde girl sitting on the edge of Neville's bed, holding his limp left hand in both of hers. Luna was crying, and seemed to have been doing so for quite a while. "I think Ron was just a little more immediately concerning for her, because Neville already told us you were okay. We wanted to follow Professor Snape to the fight, but Professor Flitwick needed our help too."

"Filius is injured?" asked Professor McGonagall. Luna pointed to the bed across the ward, where the Charms professor was sprawled on top of the blankets. "My goodness!"

"Filius and Mr. Longbottom will be fine after a good night's rest," said Madam Pomfrey. "Mr. Weasley, on the other hand...well, he'll live, but those wounds will never fully heal."

Ginny blinked several times. "You mean they'll scar? Like Harry's forehead?"

"These will make Mr. Potter's scar look like a beauty mark," the nurse said curtly. She went into her office, but turned around almost immediately. "Minerva, you need to contact Molly and Arthur, they'll want to come. And see if you can find Albus, he might be able to help me with some of the healing."

"Of course," McGonagall replied. She glanced down to Bill's bedside, where Lupin had been joined by Ron, Hermione, and Tonks, to Neville's bed, where Luna was still sitting and crying, and finally to Ginny. "Miss Weasley, come and help me find the headmaster and Mr. Potter. I want to know everything that happened tonight."

"But-"

"You heard Madam Pomfrey. Bill will live, but Albus may make his recovery smoother. Please, do not argue with me." Ginny scowled, but part of her was more than willing to listen to her Head of House.

"Fine. Luna," she said to her friend, "tell Ron and Hermione where I've gone. I don't want them to worry."

Luna nodded and, in a very unLunaish manner, leaped up and embraced Ginny. "I'm glad you're safe, Ginny."

Ginny hugged Luna back briefly before disentangling herself and following McGonagall outside. They walked in silence towards the Entrance Hall, but a buzz of conversation grew louder the closer to the doors they got. "What is going on out here?" McGonagall asked furiously. "Surely the other teachers would have noticed this many students out of bed." But kids were trickling in unabated from the stairs, the dungeons, and the kitchen, some of them slipping on rubies from the Gryffindor hourglass.

The lawn directly next to the front doors was covered by a mob of students, and Ginny was horrified to see that many of them were crying. The hulking, shaking figure of Hagrid was at the front of the crowd, kneeling but still visible over the heads of the students. McGonagall, who was also taller than many of the students, cried out before they even cleared the door. This did nothing to soothe Ginny's growing fears, but the Deputy Headmistress merely leaned against the doorframe and waved her on. "Get...Hospital Wing...quickly, Miss Weasley. I'll get your parents." And she was gone with a sob.

Ginny nodded and pushed her way into the crowd of students, craning her neck but still unable to see what was at the center of the circle. She stopped at the edge of the crowd when she saw a set of purple robes splayed across the grass haphazardly, a pair of legs arranged at a strange angle. "No...no, no, no," she whispered. As she approached Hagrid, her fears were confirmed: Albus Dumbledore lay at the foot of the Astronomy Tower, looking every bit as dead as the Death Eater Gibbon had.

Hagrid's voice brought her back from her horrified stasis. "Yeh can' stay here, Harry...come on, now..."

"No." Harry was there, hidden in Hagrid's shadow. His eyes were fixed on Dumbledore's face, so red from crying that the green hardly showed.

She patted Hagrid's arm and met his eyes; her favorite professor was crying as harder than she would have imagined possible, but he understood her unspoken words. He removed his hand from Harry's shoulder and hugged Fang instead, leaving Ginny to take care of the distraught boy.

"Harry, come on." She grabbed his hand and forced him to follow her inside. Until they were halfway through the collection of mourning students his hand was every bit as lifeless and cold as Bill's had been, but he eventually seemed to realize she was there and squeezed her hand tightly.

When they were inside and alone, Ginny turned to look at her boyfriend for a moment. His eyes were distant and clouded with emotion, but they met hers for one moment and despair flowed between them. But there was something else in his eyes. Resolve.

And Ginny knew then that Harry had made a decision, and she knew that he would break her heart in following through with it. "We're going to the hospital wing," she said as they started up the marble staircase.

She couldn't take anymore heartbreak tonight.

* * *

A/N: And so ends the last of Ginny's chapters. I imagine she knew Harry well enough by this time to know what he was thinking even before he did, and her unsurprise at the end of the book seems to confirm my belief. On a semi-related note, many of you are probably confused by Ginny's conversation with the voice in her head at the beginning of this chapter. I encourage you to read my story "Riddle", which explains quite a lot about that and expounds upon Ginny's character as a whole.

Thanks for reading, watching, faving, and/or reviewing this story! There are only two chapters left, and I hope you enjoy both of them as much as the rest of the story.


	8. Chapter 8

"'So the prince took her to be his wife, for now he was sure he had found a real princess, and the pea was put into the Museum, where it may still be seen if no one has stolen it.' And that's the end." Luna sighed and wiped Neville's forehead with a damp cloth. Madam Pomfrey had told her that a fever was to be expected during his recovery, but she couldn't stand for her friend to have such warm skin. It reminded her too much of her mother, though Neville's face was flushed rather than alabaster. She wished he would wake up so she could stop worrying.

"Was that a Muggle story?" said a warm voice beside her. Luna looked up to see a woman with Ginny's eyes and red hair smiling at her. "I don't recognize it."

"Yes. It's by Hans Christian Andersen. My mother used to read to me from his books, and some from the Brothers Grimm as well. I knew all of Beedle the Bard's stories by heart by the time I could talk." Luna put the cloth back in the bowl and gestured to the chair next to her. "You're Ginny's mum, aren't you?"

"Yes. You can call me Molly." Molly sat down and frowned at Neville. "I didn't realize he was ill."

"It's just a fever from the potions Madam Pomfrey gave him. He'll be fine as soon as it breaks." Luna tried to smile but failed when her fingers brushed Neville's burning hand.

"What happened to him? Has he been ill for long?"

"No, just since the battle."

"So he fell ill at hearing about Albus?" Molly looked pained. "The poor dear."

Luna felt her temper rise. "Actually, he was injured while dueling Thorfinn Rowle. Many of his organs were sliced according to Madam Pomfrey, and his elbow was broken too."

Molly raised her eyebrows in alarm. "He was fighting the Death Eaters? Why was he allowed?"

"He is a member of Dumbledore's Army, after all," said Luna coolly. "Hermione and I were busy keeping watch and helping Professor Flitwick, but Neville was fighting alongside Ginny and Ron."

"Wh-what?" gasped Molly. Belatedly, Luna realized that Ginny's mother may not have known that her youngest children were involved. Molly buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "I should have realized. Why else would Ginny's hair be singed or Ron's robes covered in blood? I suppose I was so focused on Bill last night..." Molly turned to gaze at the far end of the ward, and Luna followed her eyes. The eldest of Ginny's brothers was still unconscious, but he was joined on his bed by a beautiful blond girl who Luna thought might have been from Beauxbatons. Ginny's dad was snoring softly in a chair next to his son's head. "He could have died. Any of them could have died."

"But they didn't," said Luna. "They're all still alive, and like my mother always said, it's the end result that's the most important of all."

Molly eyed her for a moment with pursed lips. "Who is your mother?"

"Elsie Lovegood."

"Oh! Oh...you'll be Luna, then." She nodded. "I knew your mother. We were pregnant at the same time, you know, and since we were neighbors we did tend to cross paths. Arthur and I attended the funeral. She was a beautiful woman."

"She didn't care about looks," said Luna, looking down at the floor.

"Nor do I." Luna met Molly's gaze, and was startled to see that her eyes were shining with emotion. "I was not as close to her as I believe you are to my Ginny, but I can tell that you've taken after her."

"Hi Mum." Fred and George Weasley appeared behind Molly, their faces uncharacteristically downcast. "Luna."

"Good morning, boys," said Molly, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. "Bill's just down here." She turned back to Luna and patted her hand softly. "You take care, now, and if you ever need anything come right over to the Burrow."

Luna nodded once, and Molly patted her hand again and left. One of the twins followed her down the ward, but the other stayed behind for a moment. "Neville doesn't look too good, does he?"

She shook her head and felt her friend's face; it was damp with sweat. "He's still healing from the battle. He wasn't hurt quite as badly as he could have been, which is good."

Fred or George smiled sadly. "It really is. Glad to see you're still kicking too, Lovegood." He turned and followed his brother and mum to the other end of the ward. Luna got the cloth from the water bowl and wiped Neville's forehead again.

The clouds that had covered the skies all morning broke open when she put the rag back in the water. Luna smiled at the sun's gentle warmth on her skin. Seven years and one day had passed, yet Luna felt her mother's presence more powerfully in that moment than she had in a long time. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend that that she and her mother were cloud gazing again.

"Luna?" She blinked and looked at Neville. His dark eyes were only half open, but he was smiling. "Could you tell me another story?"

"In a little while. It's not good to tell too many of them in a row; they get intertwined too easily." She smiled back and felt his forehead again. He was sweaty, but his forehead was finally cool. The fever had broken. "I didn't think you would have heard the others through the fever. How do you feel?"

"Like a Snorkack and a Hippogriff had a fight in my abdomen," he mumbled. "Or like I've been sleeping on a pea. I must be a real princess, then." Her smile grew, and his did too, and suddenly both of them were giggling as if they had been hit by a proper Cheering Charm. When their laughter died down, Neville yawned and winced. "Apparently I haven't quite healed yet."

"Madam Pomfrey said you would be in pain for a few more days, but that you would be mostly healed once the fever broke." Luna patted his arm and stood. "I expect she'll want to examine you again. She asked me to fetch her once you woke up. I'll tell you another story once she's finished."

"Wait." Neville grabbed her hand and stared at her for a moment. "You look as tired as I feel, Luna. Didn't you rest at all last night?"

She hesitated in her answer, and chided herself for it. Her old self would have blithely told Neville the truth, that between Dumbledore's death and the memories of her mother's death and his injuries, she had been no more able to sleep than the princess from the story. But she didn't want to break his spirit just yet, to tell him that Dumbledore was dead and that Snape was responsible and that Bill was hardly alive and that she had fallen to pieces more than once during the night because of all the strain. So she simply smiled and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "I'll be back with Madam Pomfrey."

The grin on his face when she straightened up was more cheering than any charm.

* * *

A/N: And suddenly an overload of not-quite-together Nuna, because I am just a sucker for that pairing. o.o" Anyhow, there's only Neville's last chapter left and then this is over and done with.

By the by, Luna was indeed reciting one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, specifically "The Princess and the Pea." I'm a huge fan of fairy tales, and Muggle children's stories seems like a subject in which Luna Lovegood would be quite learned, so it just fell in there. I was going to use "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" but changed at the last minute.

I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading/faving/alerting/reviewing (if you do any of these, that is)!


	9. Chapter 9

"We'd best get on towards the train." Luna didn't acknowledge that Neville had spoken. "Luna?"

Her gaze remained fixed on the sky above the tomb, but she blinked at her name. "It's beautiful."

Neville followed her eyes, expecting to see a thestral or hippogriff, but there was nothing but a stretch of blue sky marred by some smoke remnants. "The day?"

"Life." Luna turned to him, an earnest expression on her face. "Life is beautiful, Neville Longbottom, and don't you ever forget it."

"I won't, but why-"

"It's short, and sometimes dull, but life is a beautiful gift. We shouldn't waste it." Luna abruptly began to cry, but her voice never wavered. "That's what she would have wanted. A cheerful, lively living."

Neville, who had no idea how to approach a tearful Luna, frowned in concern. "Who?"

"Mummy, of course." Luna blinked at Neville's confused murmur and seemed to realize she was crying; she raised her arm to mop her tears with her sleeves. "We buried her seven years ago today."

"Exactly?" he asked quietly. When she nodded, Neville immediately wrapped her in his arms. It was easier to hug Luna now than he would have ever thought possible, though he thought this revelation explained why she had been embracing him so often since the battle. After a moment, she pulled back but took his hands. "I'm so sorry, Luna."

"It's alright. She's in Heaven now, you see, and she's smiling at us." She raised her face to the sun and smiled demurely. "She's always about on days like this."

"Condolences?!" Neville craned his neck around Luna to see Percy Weasley wincing as Ginny screamed at him. "The only effing condolence I want from you is for you to sod off!" Percy said something quietly, but Ginny reached up and smacked him. "Go scurrying back to your precious Ministry, you prat, because that's the only family you've got here!"

"We should go to her," said Luna quietly. "Something's wrong." Neville nodded and stood as Percy and Ginny stormed off in different directions. He and Luna hurried after her, though a part of Neville's thoughts wondered why Harry wasn't comforting her instead.

"I thought I told you to go-" Ginny turned furiously, her hand poised to punch, only to stop when she realized who was behind her. "Oh. It's you."

"That was quite the outburst back there," Neville said quietly. "What did he say?"

"Who, Percy?" Ginny snorted and continued toward the castle at a slower pace. "He saw me crying and wanted to offer his condolences, as if they're actually worth anything." She swiped angrily at her eyes. "He was up here after the battle, did you know that?"

"But he didn't come to the Hospital Wing," Luna said slowly.

"Exactly!" Ginny spat. "That prat didn't even bother asking about Bill, even though Mum apparently sent him a note and everything. Merlin help us if she invites him to the wedding, she'll die when he doesn't show."

"And that's all that has you upset? Well, the funeral obviously, but I mean," stumbled Neville. Luna and Ginny exchanged a glance at his bumbling words, and his ears glowed red.. "What I'm trying to ask is are you going to be okay?"

Ginny didn't answer him until they were in the shade of the castle. "It's not just Percy and the funeral. In fact, it's mostly Harry."

"He has looked peakish since the battle," said Luna sadly. "Perhaps he needs a good dose of Plimpie Soup."

"It's going to take more than Plimpies or Dirigible Plums to help him," said Ginny quietly. "And I'm in no position to do anything now. He's dumped me."

Neville's jaw dropped. "No!"

"Yeah." Ginny wiped her eyes again.

"But why?" asked Neville, utterly dumbfounded. "He's mad for you!"

"It's because he's scared," said Luna. Neville and Ginny looked at her, but she was staring at the sky again. "I'd wager my butterbeer caps that he blames himself for Professor Dumbledore's death, especially after Sirius Black's death last year."

"That about sums it up. He thinks Voldemort'll use me for bait if he finds out about us. Never mind the fact that my family is one of the biggest collections of blood traitors ever." Ginny chuckled hollowly. "I guess he won't have to worry about my safety now that he's moved on." Her head fell back against the wall of the castle. "He'll just find some perfect girl who's capable of protecting herself and take her with him when he leaves."

"More perfect for him than you?" asked Neville. Ginny looked at him, but her eyes were distant; she seemed to be looking right through him, and she looked years younger. "Gin, he's in love with _you_ and you alone. Don't go feeling sorry for yourself."

She narrowed her eyes and started to retort, but a whistle from the train station interrupted her. Even Luna turned towards Hogsmeade at the sound. "We should probably hurry."

"Yeah. You ready?" he asked Ginny, but she shook her head. "Why not?"

"I'm not going on the train," she said sadly. "My parents want Ron and me to stay here until Madam Pomfrey formally releases Bill later today." She shook her head again and took her friends' hands. Neville smiled as she squeezed his fingers. "You two take care, yeah? And make sure you write me."

"I'm sure Daddy will let me come see you soon," Luna said happily. "And maybe we can all meet at Diagon Alley for shopping."

"That'd be fun," said Neville. "Talk to you soon, Gin."

"Bye." Neville smiled and walked down the path to the gates. Luna bounced along beside him, humming merrily under her breath. "You'll write me too, won't you?"

"Oh yes," she said. They walked in silence for a moment before she looked back up again. "It's beautiful."

"Life?" Neville asked knowingly.

"No," she chuckled. "Friendship." Their eyes met briefly, and Neville felt his heart twist like he'd never known it to. Before he could figure out exactly what that feeling was, the train whistled again and Luna grabbed his hand. "We'd best run if we're to make it."

As Neville and Luna ran as quickly as they could to the train station, he knew he'd never felt happier in his life.

He wished this moment could last forever.

* * *

A/N: And we're finished. I don't know what to say now, because I'm a little sad to see the end of these postings. Well, that and I have to get back to my real writing now hahaha. I have a couple bits and bobs to post over the next couple of days, and then I'll not be posting anything else until the next "Ghosts of Ourselves" churns itself out. Love you all, and thanks for reading.

PS: A review or two would be awesomesauce. Just saying.


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